To ask....cleaning the house before going on holiday....

[CaramelEmporium]

Adding unnecessary stress or an essential pre-holiday task?

[Tonkerbea]

Essential! I love coming home to a clean house

[strathmore]

Always, come back to a lovely clean house, clean sheets etc

[Samind]

Unnecessary stress. Do basics. Change the bed though so you have nice fresh sheets to come home to. Enjoy your holiday ☺️

[Drinkandknowthings]

I clean but not a huge clean. We usually have family house/dog sit so our house is still being lived in.

[alilstressed]

Essential for me. It feels so good coming home to a clean home after being on holiday. And I'm no clean freak.

[Taneartagam]

I do it with a view to something happening to us on holiday and so someone else (my mother!) Coming in to sort the house out. So I'm in the essential camp

[DragonMamma]

I always clean and change the sheets!

[Mapril]

Are you even on holiday if you haven't said 'last job!' whilst flinging a capful of dettol down the kitchen sink on your way out to the airport?

[BadPennyNoBiscuit]

There are a few tasks that are essential.
Its not that I can't relax if they aren't done, its that I once came home in a heatwave to a bad smell and what turned out to be drain flies. So now I just double check that theres nothing around to go off, I put bleach down the plug holes and put in the plugs.

[Musicalstatues]

Yes I always do this. Couldn’t bear to come home to any mess!

[TakeAChanseyOnMe]

Reminds me of Kim from Kim&Aggie - she vacuums her way out to the front door so it’s spotless when she gets home!

[MrsElizabethShelby]

Essential. I hate coming back from a lovely relaxing holiday to a shit tip.

It drives my DH mad but even he gets it now.

Huge tidy
Good clean through
All washing done and put away/packed
Bins emptied
Breakfast washing up done and out away
Last one in the shower cleans the bathroom
Change all the beds
Get in the car and go

Lol

[sackrifice]

We plan our holidays so that our cleaner comes whilst we are away. Writing this whilst waiting for the bus after just getting off a plane from a week away.

[AlbusSeverusMalfoy]

Yup i spend the day before going making sure things are clean and tidy. The day we go we empty bins, put washing up away and make sure everything is tidy. I dont want to come home to it.

[itssoooofluffy]

I was having this exact discussion with DH on Friday... as we were leaving to go on holiday and he got annoyed with me for hoovering while I got annoyed with him for not helping

[PinkiOcelot]

I do try to because I like coming back to a clean and tidy house, depending when I’m actually at work until before I go, this isn’t always possible.

[StarTheGirl]

Pre dc2, I would have said essential. My standards have slipped big time .

[AnotherRubberDuck]

I'm the worst at keeping up with the cleaning usually but even I clean before going away! I hate coming home to a cluttered dirty house, so depressing after whats usuallu been a lovely time away.

That and unpacking straight away. 2 tips I think I origionally got from MN but really make a difference to my mood getting back into the monotony of life post holiday.

[BiscuitDrama]

I do as much as possibly without killing myself.
It’s really nice to come back to clean and tidy, but if there isn’t time then it limits what I do.

[Murinae]

Essential as my colleague comes and feeds the chickens and I don’t want her to think we live in a shit heap! Also change the beds as I like coming home to clean sheets

[WingBingo]

Essential here too. Like a pp I like to get everything unpacked quickly too.

We usually rent holiday cottages so I can wash and dry clothes whilst away and then I come home with mostly clean clothes.

[StarTheGirl]

I do as much as possibly without killing myself.

Yes, I think this is me too.

I used to have a list of must dos before going on holiday. Now I do what I can to make it pleasant enough to return to.

I used to be complimented all the time on my clean, super tidy wee flat. Now I have a massive house full of toys .

[StarTheGirl]

Ok, not massive... it feels it compared to my little flat though.

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

Definitely. Apart from anything else, if we get burgled, I don't want the police thinking we live like animals!

Even more important is tidying before going to a festival. There's no feeling on earth like coming home filthy, starving and knackered to a clean, neat house - nothing to do except have a long shower, big dinner and flop.

[TowelNumber42]

Coming home to flop in a spotless house is one of the joys of holidays. I even plan the take away dinner or the freezer food for the first night back well in advance. Cleaners always come once while we are away.